A non-profit organization, the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ), has expressed their appreciation to Delta Corporation for partnering with them in the prison breast, cervix, and prostate education and screening outreach program to inmates and staff at Chipinge, Mutare Farm, Remand, Little Kraal, Nyazura, and Rusape prisons.
The campaign started with breast, cervix, and prostate cancer education sessions in a bid to empower the participants before getting screened.
Breast education equipped the participants with skills on how to conduct a self-breast examination and what to look out for, followed by a question and answer session to ensure that they fully understand the new learned knowledge.
A total of 401 people were screened, the breakdown being for breast cancer and one male prisoner. Breast and cervical cancer screening was done by 108 women, and prostate cancer screening was done by 292 men. The program also benefited the prison staff dependents.
“A male prisoner at Mutare Farm who had breast examination had a lump. He went for an ultrasound sound in Mutare, and the results were normal, showing gynaecomastia (overdevelopment / enlargement of the breast tissue in men or boys caused by a hormone imbalance).
“All breast examinations done on women were normal. One lady from Chipinge prison had precancerous cells and was referred to Chipinge Hospital. She was treated with the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). All prostate cancer screenings were normal,” said a CAZ representative. “Identified were two Karposi Sarcoma prisoners during the outreach program whom CAZ is negotiating with prison authorities to have them reintegrated into the Karposi Sarcoma clinic at Parirenyatwa Hospital.”
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“The benefits of integrating breast screening into cervical cancer screening programs are that we kill two birds with one stone. This has the added advantage of detecting cancer early, because early detection saves lives.
All the left-over sanitary wear was donated to Rusape female prisoners, which was our last stop. Some of the prisoners were requesting soap to wash their clothing, buckets, and towels for bathing, and in the future, if funds permit, CAZ can buy soap, buckets, and towels.”
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